Reconciliation
Circle, is strongly
opposing Federal
Government
welfare changes.
In true Hospitaller tradition, Members of
the Order of Malta from South Australia
are leading a project to provide four clinics
in Timor-Leste with medical and surgical
supplies. These clinics, run by local
congregations, provide primary medical
care for significant numbers of Timorese in
underprivileged urban and isolated rural areas.
As one of the world's poorest countries
(ranking 162th out of 182 countries in the
United Nations Human Development Index)
the need is indeed great and the Australian
Association's Hospitaller, Dr Ian Marshall,
recently visited a one day clinic run by
the Carmelites to offer his professional
services. The clinic was overwhelmed by
locals seeking medical attention, but as Dr
Marshall commented, "The real tragedy is
that of all the patients I saw that day, almost
all left with insufficient medication to treat
their conditions".
At the clinic, Dr Marshall examined an
elderly man in his 70s. He had worked long
and hard all his life providing his family with
a subsistence living off the land and was
riddled with arthritis. He required long-term
pain relief and anti-arthritis drugs (basic
treatments we would expect in Australia)
but he left with only one week's supply of
medication from the clinic as that was all
that was available.
A year's supply of anti-arthritis drugs costs
less than $50. However with more than half
of the Timorese population living below the
poverty line of less than $1 per day, funding
this medication themselves is not an option.
Unfortunately, heartbreaking cases
such as this are not unique. At the same
clinic an elderly woman was brought in
by her concerned family after she had
been suffering from severe headaches.
Her examination revealed that she had
extremely high blood pressure and was
in serious danger of suffering a stroke.
Despite needing permanent blood pressure
treatment the clinic was only able to offer
her a week's supply of medication. $10 a
month would have paid for her treatment.
Consequently, three Members of the Order
from South Australia have come together
to purchase medicines at discounted
wholesale prices and distribute them to the
clinics at no cost. Dr Bob Britten-Jones AO,
a former board member of 'OPAL' (Overseas
Pharmaceutical Aid for Life) has initiated
the project with the assistance of his fellow
Knights, Dr Ian Leitch RFD and Mr Alick
Haddad.
Mr Haddad, a Pharmacist with longstanding
contacts in the industry has enabled the
Order to purchase suitable pharmaceuticals
at wholesale prices and assist with industry
donations to maximise the size and quality
of these shipments.
Dr Leitch, who has first-hand experience in
Timor-Leste after serving with the Australian
Defence Force at UN Military Hospital in
Dili in 2000 and subsequently visiting with
a Plastic Surgical Team from the Overseas
Specialist Surgical Association (OSSA), has
been invaluable in developing the project
and prioritising supplies.
Despite the Order donating medical
supplies to clinics in Timor-Leste there
is still a great and increasing need for
pharmaceuticals. However lack of funding
is currently inhibiting the progress of the
project. Dr Leitch explains "Even though the
pharmaceuticals are purchased at wholesale
prices, because of their poverty, most
Timorese are not able to afford treatment.
Our provision of pharmaceuticals at no cost,
will allow the local population to receive
treatment that would otherwise not be
possible".
The cost of treatment
• $21 would pay for 3 courses of Amoxicillin,
an antibiotic used to treat a wide range of
infections, such as pneumonia, middle ear
infections, kidney infections and even life
threatening conditions such as peritonitis.
• $38 would pay for a year's course of
Ibuprofen. In a country where most of
the work is done in the field by manual
labour, muscular aches and pains can be
chronically debilitating. This inexpensive
anti-inflammatory drug would allow the
family bread winner to continue working.
• $110 would pay for 10 courses of
Erythromycin, used to treat whooping
cough -- a potentially fatal infection.
• $500 would supply an entire clinic with a
year's supply of Paracetamol to provide
pain relief for a multitude of possible ailments.
If you would like to support the project,
please make a cheque made payable to
'The Order of Malta' and send to:
Timor-Leste Southern Cross Appeal
Order of Malta
PO Box 257
Surry Hills NSW 2010
Gifts of $2 or more are tax deductible.
Providing help to those in greatest need
The Order of Malta is committed to the
people of Timor-Leste, where it sees so
many opportunities to serve the Lord
by serving those Timorese who are sick
and in need. Since Timor-Leste became
independent in 2002 the Order of Malta has
been providing humanitarian support to its
people in many ways including;
• Supplying medicines, dressings,
consumables and children's clothing to
seven mission clinics across the country
since 2002
• Funding the construction of a tuberculosis
clinic at Venilale
• Funding the construction of a birthing
clinic at Malabe
• Donated to the Ministry of Health a full
20" container of birthing equipment, for
the hospital in Baucau
• Supporting a palliative care program run
by the Carmelite Sisters in and around Dili
• Supporting both teachers and students
at the Teachers College in Baucau and the
Salesian Agricultural College at Fuiloro
• Funding the education of 30 disabled
children in association with ASSERT
• Rehabilitation of the Timor-Leste
Ambulance Service through
- Putting all 70 members of the
ambulance staff through a Basic Life
Support Training Programme, (provided
by the staff of the Australian Catholic
University)
- Provision of a technical advisor, based
in Timor-Leste, to work with the Ministry
of Health to assist in the establishment
of 'best practice' Standard Operating
Procedures
- Donation of a fully fitted out ambulance
to the service Arranging for a team of
mechanics to repair the 9 broken-down
ambulances spread around the country.
Pharmaceutical support for Timor-Leste
The Order's Hospitaller, Dr
Ian Marshall, at work at the
Carmelites clinic in Dili.
Ambulance donated to the Timor-Leste ambulance service.
Order of Malta Australia feature